10 Things I Love About You
by Nikki Longbottom
Summary: Hermione is receiving letters from a secret admirer days before the End-Of-The-Year Ball. A Ron/Hermione story, set near the end of their seventh year. My first fic ever!


-disclaimer- Everything belongs to J.K Rowling. Well, the plot is mine, but everything else is all hers.  
  
"I have to tell her, Harry."  
  
Harry looked up from his Divination homework. His best friend, Ron Weasley, was gazing across the crowded common room at the object of his affections, their best friend, Hermione Granger, who was helping Neville Longbottom with his Potions essay. "I've told you that dozens of times," he reminded Ron.  
  
"Yeah, but now I really have to. I can't leave Hogwarts not knowing how she feels."  
  
"I've also told you how she feels." Ron's sister, Ginny Weasley, was also one of Hermione's close friends. Ginny often told Harry how much Hermione talked about Ron when he wasn't around. Plus, it was just so obvious how the two of them felt about each other. Everybody in Gryffindor (and a few people in other houses) knew they were meant to be together, now it was just a question of when they would get together.  
  
"Well, yeah, but -" Ron never got a chance to finish his sentence, because Hermione had finished helping Neville and was approaching.  
  
"Hey guys," she said brightly. "I'm gonna go up to bed. See you tomorrow."  
  
"Night Hermione," Ron and Harry called in unison to her retreating back. Ron watched as she made her way up the stairs to her dormitory. Then he turned back to Harry.  
  
"What should I say?"  
  
Harry chewed on his lower lip, thinking. Finally he replied, "I think I've got an idea." Then he leaned closer and started whispering his plan to Ron.  
  
The next morning, Hermione, Harry, and Ron were sitting at Gryffindor Table eating breakfast as usual, when an owl swooped down toward Hermione, an envelope tied around one of its legs.  
  
Hermione took the letter from the owl, opened it, and withdrew a piece of parchment. She unfolded it. The note was very short. It read:  
  
10 Things I Love About You  
  
10. I love the way you get so excited when you're talking about something you love.  
  
Love, Your Secret Admirer  
  
Hermione frowned slightly. Who on earth.  
  
"Let me see," Ron said as he reached out his hand to take the letter. Hermione looked up at him while he read it, and it occurred to her that maybe Ron had written this to her.  
  
No, no, of course not, Hermione told herself hastily. Ron didn't see her like that, and he never would. She was like a sister to him. Just because she was madly in love with him didn't mean she should start assuming that he would write her secret admirer letters. Plus, it wasn't written in his untidy scrawl.  
  
Who would it be? Hermione wondered, looking around the hall. She sincerely hoped it wasn't Harry.he was like a brother to her, and she couldn't stand hurting him by telling him she had absolutely no romantic interest in him. But, no, come to think of it.it wasn't his handwriting either.  
  
It could be Neville. Or maybe that Hufflepuff guy, Ernie or whatever his name was, that her, Harry, and Ron had paired up with Herbology a few times. Maybe it was Dean or Seamus, some of her fellow Gryffindors. Or it could be.  
  
"Aarrghh!" Hermione said loudly. Several people shot her confused looks.  
  
"What's wrong?" Ron asked.  
  
"This letter," Hermione replied. "I'm trying to figure out who could have sent it."  
  
She didn't notice Ron and Harry exchange looks.  
  
A second letter came for her the next day, written in the same handwriting. This one read:  
  
10 Things I Love About You  
  
9. I love the way you chew your bottom lip when you're concentrating.  
  
Love, Your Secret Admirer  
  
Hermione didn't understand it, not in the slightest. Why were all of these letters suddenly appearing for her? The only boyfriend she'd ever had was Viktor Krum, and he'd cheated on her with a gorgeous Chaser named Becky or Bethany or something. And as far as she knew, all of the guys at Hogwarts thought she was a bushy-haired teacher's pet. True, she'd filled out and was prettier than she'd been in first or second year, but still. This was something that was much more likely to happen to people like Lavender or Parvati.  
  
She tried to talk to Harry and Ron about it, but she could tell that they were hiding smiles the whole time. She figured that they knew who was writing these to her, and she considered trying to bribe it out of them, but decided against it.  
  
When the third letter came, she told the owl to stay right where it was while she read it.  
  
10 Things I Love About You  
  
8. I love that you're comfortable being yourself.  
  
Love, Your Secret Admirer  
  
Hermione pulled a quill out of her bag and scribbled a reply.  
  
Please tell me who you are.  
  
-Hermione  
  
"I wouldn't get your hopes up, if I were you," Harry told her as he smothered his toast with jelly.  
  
"Why not?"  
  
Harry shrugged. "Obviously, this guy's taken a lot of precautions to make sure you don't know who he is."  
  
"You know who it is, don't you?"  
  
"Yep."  
  
Hermione shifted her gaze to Ron. "You too?"  
  
"Well.yeah, I do."  
  
She shifted her gaze back to Harry, then back to Ron. "Are you going to tell me?"  
  
"Can't," Harry replied. "We promised."  
  
She just sighed. "Whatever."  
  
"She's going to figure it out soon," Ron said as him and Harry headed to Divination.  
  
"No, she won't," Harry said calmly.  
  
"Of course she will!" Ron exclaimed. "She already knows that we know, which she wasn't supposed to know that, was she?"  
  
"Okay, okay, maybe she wasn't supposed to know that," Harry agreed. "But she has no idea that its you. I bet she wishes it was you, though." 


End file.
